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Uncomfortable Questions on Multiculturalism

Charles Montgomery

What questions are we too afraid to ask ourselves in the context of multiculturalism? Does ignoring these hold us back from stepping into all that God has?

I think there are a couple of questions that we’re scared to ask when it comes to multiculturalism, the first question in that sense is: are we prepared to listen? Are we prepared to actually develop a posture of humility recognising that again no one has a corner on the Holy Spirit? I think about Peter over in Acts 10 and connecting with Cornelius and all that was involved in that; how Peter was absolutely astonished and flabbergasted when the Spirit of God fell upon Cornelius and Cornelius’ household, he began to recognise that no-one has a corner on the Holy Spirit, and he was able to go and share with his brothers and sisters that reality, and so are we prepared to understand that, we don’t have a corner and we have to develop a posture of humility.

“Are we actually willing to share power?”

I think another very salient question that we have to ask ourselves is are we actually willing to share power? It’s a very interesting type of dynamic that often we’re not serious about asking ourselves, are we willing to share power? Are we willing to share power in our pulpit, in our decision making, in our resources? To the extent that are we willing to put someone of a different culture or a different ethnicity as a church planter, but then also resource them and possibly even sit up under their leadership as well, and be able to handle what happens when that occurs. Are we really willing to share power? I think when we begin to answer those questions and are honest with ourselves about those questions, we begin to set a great pace in terms of multicultural ministry.

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